Vruwink column: Budget not end of politics as usual

Amy Sue Vruwink

Gov. Scott Walker signed the $70 billion state budget on June 30. My fellow Democrats and I decided, after Speaker Robin Vos told us that none of our amendments would pass, that we would not offer any of the 211 that we had drafted.

Instead, we've hit the road in our districts to talk with constituents about the impact that the budget will have on them. I've enjoyed meeting many constituents over the holiday, and I look forward to talking to more of you and talking about how the budget impacts you and your families.

Unfortunately, now that the major necessary task of the legislative session - passing a budget into law - is done, the Republicans already are focusing on next year's elections.

A top Republican operative is sending open records requests to our offices. You may have received a disingenuous "hit piece" on me in your door, or have seen a guest column in this paper from a member of the other party from the Green Bay area. Why does a representative from Green Bay want to write to you about me? It shows that he and his colleagues are done with doing the work of the people and are ready to begin spending their special interest money for the 2014 elections - which are more than a year away.

This budget kicks the can down the road and increases borrowing on transportation projects to $1 billion and increases the deficit to $500 million. It rejected the Medicaid expansion, which was made of tax dollars that you and I have both paid to the federal government, in favor of kicking our friends and neighbors off of BadgerCare to find health care coverage on the coming exchanges. We don't know who will be kicked off, and the Department of Health services hasn't made information available on how to find coverage under the exchanges.

Finally, the income tax cut in the budget favors those making more than $300,000 by tenfold over the middle class and those striving to get into the middle class.

My door is always open to you. I'm the process of scheduling summer office hours all across my district, and I am happy to meet with any of my constituents to discuss the budget or any other state issue that is important to you. I'm here to do the work of the people who elected me - not the people of Green Bay.